"I've always found the cafeteria to be a fun place to watch people."
"Deftly manouvering through the rapidly filling room after being among the first to have their tray filled by the old ladies behind the counter, I can't help but glance around at the other students on my way to a free table."
"By rights, the cafeteria should be a melting pot. Students from every club, class, condition, and year level are here, and with everyone in their uniforms, the differences between rich and poor, country and city, fashionable and unfashionable, fades to nothing."
"But, people being people, they still find a way to stick to their cliques. The track club members form a clump as they playfully jostle one another, as do a bunch of the deaf students, huddling together in their impenetrable little social circle while signing in their silent second language."
"There are the gaggles of popular girls with their posses, and the odd trio of less popular girls who stick to their few friends. The rowdy class clowns who loudly joke and act out, and the softly-spoken academics who keep to themselves while shuffling along. Everyone has their niche, even if that niche consists of only one."
"Setting down my tray at an empty table, I separate the disposable chopsticks using the tips of my fingers as always. Strength comes in surprisingly useful when you largely rely on one hand for manipulation, with the two conjoined sticks easily splitting apart."
"While I'd hesistate to say it's great, the food here is still pretty good. Filling, and by far satisfying enough to live on for quite a while. Can't complain about the price, either."
"It doesn't take long for company to arrive after I've started eating, a familiar figure silently seating herself across the table from me."
"Suzu simply begins to eat without a word. Such things aren't unusual with her, so I simply look down and continue with my own lunch."
"As I shovel rice into my mouth, I find myself especially pleased with how they've cooked it today. Not too dry, not too sticky. Ditching the chopsticks and gulping down some soup, it turns out that they've done a good job on that too."
"Whether Suzu's enjoying her lunch as much as I is, as always, a mystery."
"Looking past her, two of the three stooges come into sight. With my hand taken, I end up waving my stump around in the air to get their attention. It does the job, with the duo changing course and heading our way."
har "'Afternoon Miki, Suzuki."
"Suzu pauses her eating to nod to the both of them, as do I. Hisao moves around to take a seat beside me with his juice and a packet of bread, while Haru manouvers himself to the end of the table holding a suspicous plain cardboard box with equally suspicious care."
mik "What's with that?"
"Hisao just shrugs as I lean over and ask him. Haru just gleams a smile in response, setting down the mystery box and lifting the top off with practiced ease."
"As the sides fall away, a gorgeous looking red and white spongecake is revealed. A thick layer of cream separates the two layers of sponge, and another sits atop the cake. Big, succulent strawberries circle the outer rim, each sitting on its own further blob of cream. Finally, a light dusting of frosting covers the cake, like a thin shower of snow."
"It's... beautiful. As expected of Haru."
his "You're drooling."
mik "Don't care, gimme that thing."
"He might be criticising me, but Suzu's attention is just as focused. Her sweet tooth is getting the better of her as the cafeteria food before her languishes."
har "Right, right, just hold on a moment."
"He takes the plastic knife cunningly carried inside the box, and sets about cutting a few slices. Look like the cake's already had a good third eaten."
mik "So what's the story?"
his "Who's?"
mik "Let's start with the cake."
har "Made too much during home ec class. The teacher doesn't mind me baking my own stuff there as long as she gets some."
his "So you're into baking?"
har "Sure am. Might not have many talents, but I'm good at the ones I have."
"As he gets back to cutting it up, I look around for an answer to the second question on my mind; where the third stooge has gotten himself to."
"As my eyes fall on him, I can't help but give a weak grin. Suzu notices my staring and twists her head around to see, but turns back to the cake in short measure."
"Sure enough, he's standing around chatting up a couple of girls. I might not see the appeal in his appearance, but I can admit that he pulls off an air of confidence well, even without hearing what he's saying. Going by the bashful smile of the long-haired girl as she toys with her hair, and the other's excited chatting, he's making good progress with both."
his "Is he always like that? I swear he was with a couple of other girls last week."
mik "Believe me, you have no idea."
"Some people bake, some run, some study, and some pick up women."
"As if he'd heard me, Yukio looks up from his companions to see Hisao and I staring. Sensing an escape, he nods to us and seemingly explains that he wants to come our way."
"The girl with longer hair is about to follow him over before her friend stops her, gesturing at me while frowning. It's hard to be hurt by something you deserve, and as they both quickly decide to walk off, I can take solace in that at least my reputation's helped Yukio."
yuk "And how are we today, ladies and gents?"
his "Good."
har "Good."
mik "Good."
suz "Good."
yuk "Don't be too enthusiastic, now."
"He takes a seat beside Suzu, giving her a brief disarming smile as he does. She visibly wilts, despite doing her best to avoid doing so."
"Haru looks back to the cake, but frowns as he begins to cut another slice."
har "Hmm. We'll have one more slice than we have people. Should've worked that out first."
mik "Dibs on the double portion."
har "Piss off. Suzuki gets double."
suz "Uh... thank you."
mik "Hold on, what's the criteria here? Is it because she's a girl?"
har "A polite young girl, yes."
mik "What about me? I'm a girl too."
yuk "Only when it suits you."
"I get up out of my chair to get some height over him, which he responds to in kind."
mik "Oh yeah? How about you try having periods?"
yuk "Piss off, we have to-"
mik "Look at me, I'm a man, oh no I have to shave my face, I have dreams that give me orgasms, how terrible~!"
yuk "Well maybe you'd be treated like a girl if you actually acted like one!"
mik "Huh? What's that? I can't hear you over bleeding from my genitals and feeling like I've been sucker-punched in the gut once a month!"
yuk "You're making my point for me! If you didn't go on about your bloody periods while we're eating, we'd-!"
mik "Maybe I'd act more like a girl once I got free crap for being one!"
his "Miki, Yukio, please..."
"Hisao looks to Suzu for help as we snarl at each other, but all she's doing is burying her face in her palm and trying not to exist."
"I want to thump Yukio for being an ass, but in contrast to the busy hum of students of before, the sudden silence around us that reminds me that we're in the cafeteria. Submitting to Hisao's begging, we both fall back into our seats, neither of us admitting that the argument is over."
"As if the altercation had never happened, Haru passes the extra slice to Suzu, earning a shy nod of thanks. It only serves to make Yukio all the more pissed for some reason, but before I can step in to defuse the situation, Hisao does the job for me."
his "What brings you here anyway, Yukio?"
yuk "Oh, it's a woeful tale. A terrible curse has struck me yet again. Day after day this happens, and only so rarely can I find refuge from its grip."
"He's totally making an ordeal out of it, clutching at his chest and emoting as hard as he can. Even if it's for an audience of one, he still likes to play the orator. It's a shame he stopped acting, really."
yuk "I'm just... too popular."
his "What."
yuk "Girls just fall over themselves for me. It's been like this ever since high school started, and if anything it's only become worse."
yuk "Oh, what I would do to get those women off me! I tell them I'm not interested, but it only makes them try all the harder."
his "You can't be serious."
"Haru begins to come around each of our seats, setting down a slice before each of us before sitting beside Hisao. I quickly tuck into mine as soon as I can, the wonderful taste of cream and strawberries filling my mouth. Befriending this guy was one of the best decisions ever."
mor "It's true. He ended up quitting drama and switching to the track club just to lower his profile."
"Hisao suddenly clicks his fingers in a flash of insight."
his "Ah, that explains it! I knew that face on the posters was yours. You must still work for them sometimes, right?"
yuk "Yeah, though it's mostly organising new recruits and helping with behind the scenes stuff. They probably just use my face to draw in a bigger crowd..."
"His smile fails him as he looks down at his dessert, a cloud of despair hanging overhead. I wonder how many girls he'd get if he let this side of himself show through more often."
yuk "Man, it really is a pain. Those girls are so loud and obnoxious, I can't stand any of them."
mik "I might not the best judge, but I don't really understand your appeal. Physically, at least."
har "You don't?"
mik "You do?"
"I see an opportunity to both tease him and stroke my own ego, and so take it without hesitation."
mik "Hmm... who do you think is hotter? Me, or Yukio?"
"I lean around Hisao and stare intently at Haru, with Yukio reluctantly doing the same."
"Haru's taking this surprisingly seriously, his head moving between our faces with a look of total concentration as he brings his fingers to his stubbled chin. Seconds pass, with Hisao and Suzu's interest obviously piqued as they stare and eat at the same time."
"Everybody's on tenderhooks as we await his judgement, with Yukio's face slowly moving further and further back."
har "I'd have to say Yukio."
"I'm a little disappointed in the answer, but the look on Yukio's face more than makes up for it."
yuk "That's a joke... right?"
har "Not at all. I can definitely see why girls like you."
yuk "You're the last person I wanted that kind of praise from."
"Smiling at his discomfort, Hisao finishes his cake and gives due compliments to Haru, which I hurridly second."
mik "Come to think of it, haven't you got lots of female friends, Hisao? Maybe you could give the stud here some tips on how to friendzone like a pro."
his "Thanks..."
yuk "I'm not interested in keeping them as friends, I just want them to piss off."
yuk "Here."
"He plucks the strawberry off his dessert and plops it on top of Suzu's uneaten slice. She doesn't even notice, given her attention being focused on trying to get through the first without dropping crumbs everywhere."
"He waits for a reaction to his act of kindness before giving up and hanging his head in defeat. I don't think Yukio is having a good day."
mik "Well, there you have it, Hisao. These are the losers I hang out with."
his "They're not so bad."
"Haru clamps onto Hisao's shoulder and gives him a playful shake. It's nice to see Hisao loosening up, even if it is just a little."